


Appalachian

by Imagining_in_the_Margins



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Bad Flirting, F/M, Flirting, Fluff, Fluff without Plot, Friends to Lovers, Romance, Self-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:34:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24530875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imagining_in_the_Margins/pseuds/Imagining_in_the_Margins
Summary: Reader is tired of Spencer purposefully pushing her buttons and demands an explanation.
Relationships: Spencer Reid/Reader
Comments: 4
Kudos: 180





	Appalachian

Spencer Reid was a genius. It was an objective truth – a fact of life that I’d come to terms with on my first day at the bureau. For the most part, it was pointless to try and argue with him. You would lose, and probably be humiliated by just how well versed he was in whatever you were talking about.

But today, Spencer Reid was _fucking_ ** _wrong_**.

“Reid, this is stupid. You _know_ I’m right. Why are you arguing with me?” I shouted, feeling him following close behind me despite my very desperate attempts to get away from him.

It was an argument we’d had several times before. Every single time we had a case in the region, without fail, we would fight.

It had all started on the very first case I went on. We were up in Northern Pennsylvania when some local got into it with me. Later that afternoon, I’d complained about it to Reid, assuming that he’d take my side, since I knew he would be aware of the origins of the term.

But he didn’t. No, he had doubled down and has remained firmly in the wrong camp ever since.

“Actually, I _don’t_ know that! Both pronunciations are correct, and I happen to think mine makes more sense.” He said with a level of smart aleck in his tone that was impressive — even for him.

“No, it _doesn’t_. It objectively does _not_.”

“Let’s take a vote.” He suggested, a shit-eating grin on his face.

I spun around on my heels, causing him to nearly smack right into me with the sudden stop. “I don’t need to take a vote, because I already know I’m right. Appalachian comes from the Native American term Apalachen. From the Apalachee! So even your arguments about traditional grammar rules don’t make sense! It’s Latch, not Lay!”

The only thing more frustrating than not being able to say the words fast enough or loud enough was that nothing I said ever wiped that stupid smirk off his face. He seemed so confident, despite his opinion being utterly ridiculous.

“I disagree.” He said like that made a difference, tacking on another teasing comment, “And so does the north, by the way.”

“You’re not even from the north, I—!” I started, cutting myself of when I heard him laugh. I swear my body was shaking. I wanted to punch him. I was going to do it one of these days, I was convinced.

But not today. No, I just took a deep breath, trying to steel myself for whatever else he had left up his sleeve.

“You know Reid, just because you disagree with something doesn’t make it right.”

“I disagree.”

He was seconds away from making unpleasant contact with my fist, when I forced myself to turn around, barging into the conference room where half the team was waiting for us. I dropped into the seat, my hands immediately coming up to rub my temples.

Reid took the seat right next to me, still going on. “Why don’t I just call it Alleghania instead?”

I turned in my seat, facing him directly with my hands clasped in front of my face in something slightly resembling prayer.

“Why are you like this?”

He never got to answer, because Emily had already grown tired of our bickering. “Hey. Quit it.” She said, and before I could argue my case, she raised a finger in warning, “Both of you. We have more important things to worry about right now.”

Glaring at Reid like my gaze could actually light him on fire in his seat, I slowly turned back around to the case file in front of me. But something told me that considering this case was taking place near my hometown, this fight was far from over.

—

We had nearly wrapped up the case, and I was grateful. As much as I loved being closer to where I grew up, it was never the same when you were there for work. Surprisingly, I hadn’t heard much from Reid during this trip.

Normally he’d have pestered me nonstop, using the term every chance he could just to say it wrong. But I guess he realized that I needed the break. Now that the case was over, I was sure I’d hear him being a smart mouth again soon.

Or at least I thought I would.

“You know, the modern folk festival as we know it now started in this region. Although it had been used before, it didn’t rise to any kind of national consciousness until there was a series of four prominent festival starting in 1928.” 

I froze in place when I heard his voice around the corner. I hadn’t decided yet whether or not I wanted to ruin the post-case high I was experiencing.

Then again, I was pretty interested in what he had to say… It wasn’t often I listened to him talk about my culture. I’d always figured he’d know a ton about it, but we usually never got past arguing about the name.

So, carefully, I peeked out into the main room, watching as Emily stared blankly at him while he talked very excitedly about something that I’d very much like to talk to him about sometime.

“The first three, the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival, the American Folk Song Festival, and the White Top Folk Festival all focused purely on Appalachian culture.”

 _Wait, what_?

My mind came to a screeching halt before I realized that the two of them were walking towards me. I ducked back into the hallway, rushing off into another room where they hopefully wouldn’t find me for a few minutes.

In the silence, I repeated his voice over and over again in my head. I was certain of what I’d heard, and it positively _baffled_ me. Because that stupid genius Spencer Reid had said the word _correctly_.

Son of a **bitch**.

—

Once again, I found myself standing just out of sight of the boy wonder, watching him flipping through the book in front of him at a startlingly slow pace. I had to admit, he was pretty cute like this. Honestly, he was cute all the time. That was part of what made me so angry when he purposefully pushed my buttons.

Emily had always told me that he was just doing the equivalent of pulling my pigtails on the playground because he liked me. I’d never really understood why she thought that, but she’d always been a better profiler than me, so maybe I should listen to her.

Either way, I finally had delicious ammunition that I could use, and I wasn’t going to miss this opportunity. So I waltzed into the room, plopping down on the couch next to him. He glanced up from his book, slowly lowering it and turning his attention to me.

“I heard you say something interesting earlier in the precinct.” I started, a poorly hidden smirk on my face.

“Hm? What?” He asked, narrowing his eyes to try to remember all of his conversations from the past 24 hours. Then, like a lightbulb went off in his head, he immediately blurted into a longwinded rant.

“Was it my conversation with Emily about Take Me Home, Country Roads? Because I’m still bothered by the fact the song is clearly about Western Virginia, but then says West Virginia, but was based on a picture from Maryland and—“

“You said it right. Appalachia.”

For a second, his jaw dropped open like he knew he’d been caught with his hand in the cookie jar, but then it was gone. It quickly morphed back into the smirk I’d come to both love and hate.

“I always say it right.” He tried to dismiss me, but I wasn’t going to let it go that easily. I knew what I’d heard.

My insecurities began to creep through me, filling my heart with a sadness that wasn’t suited for the lighthearted conversation I hoped we could have. He noticed, concern breaking through his confident facade.

“Why do you like making fun of me? Like, did I do something to you?” I asked, and I hoped that he could tell I was being genuine. And judging by the way his jaw tensed, I think he did.

“No. I mean, yes, but…” He shifted uncomfortably on the couch, his eyes falling down to the book in front of him rather than me. “You didn’t do anything _bad_.”

“Then _why_ are you such a jerk to me?”

I didn’t mean for my voice to crack like that, trying to force an overdramatic pout in the hopes he’d assume I was being ridiculous. But the feelings were too genuine to hide, and Reid looked downright ashamed with himself.

“I thought we were just playing around.” It sort of sounded like he didn’t really mean it, either. Like there was some ulterior motive, or some benefit he reaped from riling me up. I sighed, pushing his book away from him so he couldn’t just stare at that to continue avoiding my eyes.

“Normally, people tell jokes to play around. But you just make fun of me.” My voice grew louder, and more frantic when I nearly shouted, “It’s like you _like_ making me mad!”

His eyes met mine for just _one_ second before he turned his whole head away, a deep red blossoming over his cheeks. That one second was enough for me to realize something.

Emily was right.

Audibly gasping, I punched the guy next to me with way more power than necessary to make my point. “Reid! What the hell?!”

“Fine! I’m sorry. You’re right!” He yelled back, raising his hands to grab my fist before it could hit him again. “It’s not my fault though! Every time you talk about it you just… You get so excited! And you try to look angry but it’s not scary at all in fact it’s…”

The words cut off, his mouth snapping shut so tightly I heard his teeth click. It was like his body was literally trying to forcibly stop him from saying anything more. But he’d stopped precisely when I needed him to continue the most.

His hand on my wrist felt warm and comforting, and it stayed there as I lowered my arm. Sliding my arm away, I stopped so that he was holding my hand, instead. It was a bold move, but I was desperate to get him to continue.

“It’s what?”

After a moment of silence, I was convinced I’d never hear the end of the sentence. Maybe it was for the best, I thought, to not know how Spencer really feels. Maybe it was best to remain jovial coworkers who occasionally bicker. Things could get messy when people were honest. Especially people with mousy brown hair that was begging to have fingers run through it and lips that looked like they were built to be kissed.

“It’s really cute.”

My head perked up at his voice, which was quiet but firm. It wasn’t entirely the bashful doctor I’d expected, but I liked it nonetheless.

“You think _I’m_ … cute?” I repeated, holding a hand up to my chest like there could be someone else in the room he was talking to.

He laughed, looking equally unsure as he glanced around the room. “Yes?”

“Why did you phrase that like a question?”

With the same confused tone but at an even higher pitch, Reid looked me in my eyes this time. “Because I’m scared?”

And then I saw him for what he was: An awkward, smitten boy who wanted to find an excuse to talk to the girl he liked. I knew I wasn’t the most sociable person myself, and more often than not I was only in a conversation to listen.

But he’d found a way to make me talk, and like a true scientist, he’d continued to test it as best he could. If he ever broke it apart too much, I’m sure he’d have the tools to put us back together again.

He was scared. I could only presume what he could be afraid of, but I was almost certain it was the same thing I was afraid of — losing him. Despite our somewhat combative relationship, we’d always been there for each other on the silent flights home and the long trips in the backseat of the vans.

Spencer Reid was scared because he liked me, and he wasn’t sure if I liked him back.

“Good.” That was what I said when I finally decided to speak. Leaning over to him, I gingerly kissed his cheek at the reddest point, feeling how the skin burned underneath my lips. I wasn’t sure how, but he managed to turn an even darker shade.

“You look cute like that, too.” I teased, gently poking his tiny button nose before withdrawing completely.

Reid was staring at me now, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. I couldn’t help but laugh, all of the tension and anger melting away from me as he started to laugh, too.

“You’re such an idiot.” I joked, shoving him away from me in a way that shoved just how much I wanted him to come closer.

He got the message, swaying back over to me and whispering in my ear. “I disagree.”


End file.
